Back in the late 70s when the Aussie who owned G Heilman was buying up local breweries around the country to get the brand name.
He then started selling beer in those brown, "squatty body", throw away glass bottles.
Even bottled Carling Red Cap Ale in green bottles.
Probably at least a couple of dozen brands that were bottled that way.
My guess is that most of the Heilman owned brands came out of the same vat.
Lew
It was common for beer bottles to be recycled and the competitions labels cleaned off. Beer bottlers did not care whose bottle they used, at least Lone Star did not care.
I truly believe the shape of the container has a lot to do with taste. If you hold your mouth in a certain way to prevent pouring the drink all over you, aluminum cans are trickier than bottles, the product probably goes in you mouth and hits a different part of your tongue.
"Squatty Bodies" are strictly throw away, single use bottles.
SFWIW, it is usually lower cost to recycle bottles that it is to clean them.
Have a customer who converts old bottles into cullet, then melts and blows new bottles.
Quite common in food packaging such as catsup, to blow the bottle on the line, then fill it with product since the bottle is still sterile.
Lew
Nope.
Must have been a regional thing.
Lew
Remember the late 40's early 50's "squatty" beer cans (Falstaff comes to mind) ... a ubiquitous, at the time, .22 practice target, short of turtles.
to "bark" a squirrel?
Ahhhh, yes. Or to gig a frog or ten. I remember gigging on the shore of the creek, and it was tough going as a kid. I gave it up in lieu of bank fishing under the low hanging trees for perch. Better return.
Then I worked on a ranch for a while and they had a 5-7 acre man made tank that took care of most of the ranch water needs. The frogs and catfish that were in it were enormous as the folks that owned the place liked neither.
We brought a small canoe out one evening, a flashlight and an old cooler. We paddled around that tank in the dull moonlight, night after night absolutely having a blast gigging - it was easy and the cooler was full every night of the biggest frogs I had ever seen. I didn't even know frogs got >that< big.
I was so focused on the gigging one night that I almost gigged a coon. He was being still since like many night animals they are blinded by bright light. Just when I was getting ready to gig him (think of the tornado that would have unleashed!) I thought *crap!* wrong color of eyes!
The catfish that came out of that tank tasted like an old drain pipe. No amount of red sauce or lemon could kill that flavor. But the frog legs.... marvelous. Dipped in egg wash, rolled in flour with a little cornmeal and salt and pepper, then deep fried. We felt like kings after wiping out about 6-8 pairs apiece.
What great memories. And I hadn't thought of that in years.
Robert
Took one look at gigging and said, "Forget it".
If it was daytime, used a fly rod or a cane pole and a fly.
If it was night time, jacklighting with a row boat, and no, never got caught.
As far as catfish, or most any other fish, for that matter are concerned, I'll pass on the egg wash, but rolled in a spiced up cornmeal/flour mix, and deep fried in a cast iron chicken fryer, now that is to die for, IMHO.
It's a tough life, but somebody has got to do it.
Lew
A buddy and I spent a late night gigging frogs from a jon boat in the Florida panhandle. Until a water moc took exception to our messing with his supper. He looked like he was a wee bit bothered. Swam toward the boat and I put on my Jesus shoes and I was ready to walk across the water to get away. But, he left. We did too.
Went back to flounder gigging, didn't care for frog legs anyway. And occasionally gigging a stingray didn't raise the blood pressure like that snake did.
John Flatley
What? No frogs? We used to scare the youngsters by showing them the legs while they were frying. When they start to get hot, there is a tendon that shrinks, then lets go. We told the kids the legs were still alive, and when they would seize up, the kids eyes would be like saucers. When the tendon broke and the leg relaxed (moved again) we always lost the kids. They were SURE the legs were still alive.
Same damn joke played on me when I was their age.
I'll pass on the egg wash, but rolled in a >spiced up cornmeal/flour mix, and deep fried in a cast >iron chicken fryer, now
That sir, is about as good as it gets for this Southern boy. If you can fry it, I will probably eat it, and if tasted good that's helluva bonus. (Just kidding)
I fry up some fish pretty frequently, and we are lucky to have a bbq joint that has great catfish so we can get the good stuff (fried) whenever we want it.
After goofing with all manner of coating recipes, I do this: take the fish out of the fridge and let it warm a bit while the oil is getting hot. Get the oil to +/- 325 F. Roll the moist fish in Zatarain's southern style cornmeal coating that has been dosed with cayenne, citric acid, a tiny bit of chili powder, and black pepper. Fry until golden, then cool on an open rack over paper towels. Eat until you see the grim reaper threatening you, then rest. Wait two hours, eat any remaining fish.
No lemon, sauces, condiments or anything else needed.
And you?
Robert
I remember early sixties (1 or 2) and watching the old black and white TV with the football games on, and Hamms beer was the sponsor. "From the land of sky blue water - Hamm"s". I always thought the cartoon Indian in a canoe was funny. My grandfather drank Hamm's when my Dad brought it to him, but otherwise his taste ran to whatever was cold.
All they had were tin cans and a church key. No squatties, just yet. They used to take me to the bar where they did have bottles, and they would order a beers, and "a beer for the boy".
let the drink jet spray into your mouth?
Naw, too much excitement for me! I would have probably shot it up my nose.
Robert
Don't think so ... they were apparently called "conetops" although I don't remember that, being a bit too young to do anything but shoot at them:
Well that was part of the learning curve. ;~) I grew up in Corpus Christi and no one down there pierced the top with an ice pick but in Charlotte TX, about 50 miles south of SA, about 5 miles SW of Jourdanton it was all the rage with all my cousins.
Never saw any of them used for beer when I was a kid.
Lew
You missed it, used a fly rod or a cane pole with an artificial fly.
More frogs, less work.
Shades of a snipe hunt.
Badges to document the rite of passage.
If you are going to fry it, gotta have a cast iron chicken fryer, no "ifs", "ands" or "buts" about it.
Ever soak it in buttermilk, just like chicken?
A little spicy for my tastes these days; however, still mix my own using flour, cornmeal, and one of Emeril's spice mixes except I cut down on the cayenne some and add more Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
BTW, keep a couple of jars of Zatarain's mustard handy. Good stuff.
Works for me.
Yep.
Strictly for amateurs.
Lew
Wow, that's pretty cool...
r-----> who's justa beaming reading all these stories.
Tue, Mar 13, 2007, 1:03pm (EDT-2) snipped-for-privacy@nospam.com (Swingman) doth query: Remember the late 40's early 50's "squatty" beer cans (Falstaff comes to mind) ... a ubiquitous, at the time, .22 practice target, short of turtles.
Yup. Black Label comes to mind. Falstaff should be labled toxic. Saw some cans in a store the other day, but didn't see if they were soda or beer. Maybe they're making a comeback. Handy, I guess, if you only want a few swallows, not a whole beer.
JOAT It was too early in the morning for it to be early in the morning. That was the only thing that he currently knew for sure.
- Clodpool
No kiddin'.... I sure did miss it. Catching frogs with a cane pole and a artificial fly is almost diabolical.
"ifs", "ands" or "buts" about it.
I have one that is about 90 years or so old. It was a stovetop staple from a friend of mine's ancient grandparents before they passed. It made his grandpa's two strips of bacon and two eggs every day as long they could, as well as fried everything from squirrel and rabbit to steaks.
It is one that has the "fryer" lid. The lid has the hanging teats inside it to redistribute the moisture and grease back onto the cooking victim inside. My other one is my first personal cast pan, and it is proudly serving after 40 years. (How in the hell could I have had that all that long...)
Never have. You? I am always up for something new in the kitchen. Is this a recommendation?
I will egg wash a heavy fleshed fish like whiting, talapia, or catfish that is a little aromatic to the nose. Otherwise, the moisure on the fish is good enough for me when cooking farm raised catfish, trout, cod, etc. Of course, swordfish, salmon, tuna, shark, etc. all go to the grill.
flour, cornmeal, and one of Emeril's spice
One of my old compadres turned me to Zatarains after I was complaining of not being able to get the "fine" grained cornmeal coating on my fish. As much as I experimented with ratios of flour and cornmeal, I couldn't get it. He gave me some Z's to try, and it worked great. The secret to that style of coating? The Zatarain's is ground much, much finer than cornmeal.
Lew... I'm still working over the cane pole and fly business. I'm getting a picture of a frog dangling on the end of pole with a hook in his mouth.
Wicked.
Robert
Naw, just an efficient way of harvesting frogs.
BTW, haven't been fishing in probably close to 50 years, but still have those fly rods squirreled away. They were my fathers.
Just getting broken in I see.
My Dutch oven has a lid like that.
My chicken fryer has a flat lid which makes it suitable for flap jacks.
Time flies when you are having fun.
Straight from Emeril.
Helps take out the strong taste.
I'll have to check it out, but this is SoCal.
They have some strange tastes in food.
Think of it as a jib crane for harvesting frogs.
Lew
As a matter of curiosity have you ever tried Mexican corn flour
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